Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Johnson Sets School, Personal Record at Championships
May 31, 2002 | Track and Field
May 31, 2002
BATON ROUGE, La. - Freshman Jonathan Johnson would have to wait out lightning and rain to back up his second fastest qualifying time in the 800-meter run at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Baton Rouge, La.
When the meet finally got back on track Johnson was ready to run. The plan, according to both head coach Wes Kittley and Johnson, was to run with the 2002 indoor champion Otukile Lekote and try and take him over the final 100 meters.
The Abilene, Texas, native did just that, matching Lekote stride-for-stride through a 23.90 200 split, a 50.40 400 split and a 1:17.00 600 split.
"We talked about it before the race," started Johnson. "We thought that he would go out that fast and at this point time doesn't matter, it is a race."
The plan worked almost to perfection, but over the final 75 meters the freshman started to get tired and finished fourth with a new school record and personal best time of 1:45.81.
"What more can I ask for," said Johnson. "[Lekote] is a good runner and has experience. I ran with him most of the way, I'll be ready for him next year."
Sophomore Tiffany Green joined senior Monique Wright-Cruse in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash. In the event the top four finishers in each heat advance with the next fastest time. Green entered the semifinal with the 6th fastest preliminary time of 11.48, while Wright-Cruse was the final athlete to make the 16 competitor field with a prelim time of 11.67.
Green would run in the faster of the two heats and place 5th sprinting to an 11.68 finish, while Wright-Cruse would race in the first heat where she placed 7th with a time of 11.81, neither competitor qualified for Saturday's finals.
For discus thrower Jason Young, this year's trip to the championships was a chance to compete and place among the nation's elite as he came into the meet with the 5th best fling in the nation. Instead, Young will have to wait until next year to earn his first All-American outdoor honor.
The Dallas native who set the school record in the event twice this season could only muster a toss of 182'04 as he finished a disappointing 14th and did not qualify for the finals.
The women's team finishes the championships without scoring a point, but the team is young and has set the bar high for next year while the men have five points with the 1,600-meter left to race on Saturday.
